Baked Ziti
Throughout the years, I have both provided many meals for families and friends and received many meals from family and friends in times of need. While it is always nice to help another, if you are anything like me you tell someone you are going to bring them dinner and then forget until the day of, you suddenly remember and your kitchen doesn’t have anything that when combined would even be remotely edible.
This is where baked ziti comes in. I almost always have the ingredients for baked ziti. Not only is it the perfect dish to provide a family a meal for, but it is one of my kids’ favorite dishes. Super easy to make and even freeze for a freezer meal later on.
In all honestly, baked ziti doesn’t necessarily need ziti noodles. I typically use whatever medium to large sized pasta I have in my pantry. I’ve used ziti, penne, rigatoni, and even lasagna noodles broken up. The meal isn’t predicated on the noodle, it is the combination of the ingredients.
Oven Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 lb breakfast sausage
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 lb ziti noodles
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese grated
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the breakfast sausage. Add in the red bell pepper, onion, and garlic cloves. Saute until the onion and bell pepper have begun to soften.
- At the same time time, boil water for the pasta and cook according to the directions on the box to al dente.
- Drain the noodles and add them to a large mixing bowl. Add in the sausage vegetable mixture. Pour in the marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and half of the parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Pour into a 9×13" pan and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the last of the parmesan cheese over the top of the noodles at the last 5 minutes of the baking. Serve immediately. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Nutrition
Are you like me and find yourself forgetting you volunteered to bring a meal to a friend in need? Or does the late afternoon arrive and you just hadn’t thought what to make for dinner yet? I’ve found myself in this situation many-a-time and this baked ziti recipe has saved my booty each time.
Do you have a go-to recipe when you just don’t know what to make for dinner? I’ve found keeping a few recipes in my back pocket to whip out any time I am in a crunch is super helpful. Hope y’all are having an amazing week. Stay safe, be kind, and hug your loved ones.
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